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November ride?

SwampMatt

Well-known member
It was so much fun I can't wait to do it again!!!!! :D :lol: :D

Since there is a little talk about the next ride, I figured I'd start t new topic to keep this out of the wraps ups of the Milk Bus ride.

We'll go where the group goes. I'd like to see the Citrus county areas I hear so much about. But isn't there some tension about airbout noise there still? I'd hate to worsen it by bringing in 50+ boats.... some of which are still sort of loud.

A place for the "Quietest Airboat Contest" would have a good PR value in such a populated, sound sensitive area.

Loughman lodge is indeed a natural, airboat friendly place to meet. I personally like the ride south of there.

What would a ride be like where we meet at Loughman, and ride down to Lone Cabbage and eat restaurant food there? It'd make hauling all the food and cooking supplies totally unnecessary! Is that too far of a ride? Maybe meet at Lone Cabbage, and ride up to Loughman! :) The food at both places is pretty good.

And please correct me if I am wrong about this... But much of that area is not really much of a hunting zone. Yet it is remote and beautiful. The whole ride there is no residential areas to even get close to.

I would like to do a winter ride (January? Feb?) in south Florida to follow the warmer weather.

Not much in the way of accommodations super close to either place though. Loughman has a trailer and the world's smallest motel with 4 (or so) rooms! I'm not sure what Lone Cabbage has. Lone Cabbage's dining room is bigger though.

I would not mind doing Melbourne again too. That was a lot of fun... and I know we did not even see half of it! Same with Kissimmee.

Having the run based out of a commercial establishment is perfect for a toy drive or second Operation Airboat.

I'd like to be able to pause at a nice big mud flat and watch everyone hotdog around doing tricks. :) Airboat4Fun... are you listening? :D

Still early to talk about a date. Suppose we all need to check our calanders.

Whenever, wherever, the mood-mobile will be ready! :D And you guys who have not been out with us yet (or in a long time - croc1 & thunder) MAKE PLANS FOR THIS ONE dangit! :D

matt.
 
We could send the toys to hurricane areas but I am sure they will have plenty of offers. How about we leave it up to the marines toys for tots and just steal us a little good press coverage for our efforts. Make sure the reporters know about it again. The only reason for kiss. as a suggestion was to try and get lots of people from other clubs involved. As for the cookin gear we could probably have it at thomas landing where there is plenty of room to park boats, it is accessible by vehicle mostly so the cook gear could arrive in a truck or two. Ms. Betty could use the business at her store and get some good press for her place which might help her fight with the water management and tree huggers who are trying to put her out of there. and she has gas & beer also. I have never had any problem with hunters on the lake and have never been shot at yet. There is always a buttload of boats out that time of year because the weather is nicer. Any date suits me I will be on a lake or river somewhere thanksgiving weekend anyways so that won't bother me. It would take a heck of a restaurant to handle 50 people ordering at the same time added to their regular business that would be a nighhtmare in progress.
 
My vote is for Thomas Landing again. I would really like to see more of that area. My second choice would be for Melbourne.

Then agian, I'll go anywhere you guys want to go.
 
Everything you say Cntry is solid. I like it. But I was not intending on just "dropping in" on our restaurant of choice. Of course we'd call ahead! :) If not even days ahead!!! (for a future run) Loughman often has the big grill fired up and a cookout going on. I recall someone saying they did that every other saturday with the BBQ.

I heard the road to Thomas Landing was pretty rough. I only saw it from the water. Is there anything we could do to help that out? Maybe giving our business thata way is enough.

And I agree with you Faron. There is enough to see out there for many rides. I'd like to see the locks (in force) :) Kinda like that old college stunt to see how many kids they can cram into a volkswagon. Although, I'm sure the lockmaster would have something to say about it. But then again.... our new rudders are whispering in my ear. What's that? Oh... they are telling me to take a long walk on a short pier. :)

As for the loughman & lone cabbage area... that's our back yard. We go out there anyway. And we don't overflow the restaurant!

matt.
 
Hey ya'll,

It's an Alan Jackson song..."Little Man"! The Ms and I will support the toy drive any way possible. PLEASE... find a date first! If Ms Betty needs business then we're there, (Airboat4fun did say the road into there was rough).

We probably can't make the trip to Loughman till after the first of the year, (no vacation time left / distance to drive). Really look forward to that trip!

Mood, I'm sure Airboat4fun will agree...Your boat will be at home down here in the Glades. That trip will be a hard one to plan as there is basically nowhere to stay within 75 miles of the major launch points on Alligator Alley, (unless someone at one of the camps can host us all out there). WE COULD ALL CAMP OUT AT THE COLLIER SEMINOLE PARK...Nice snake hunting there about 25 miles from our piece of swampland! I believe the Airboat Association of Florida has a ramp / campground but you have to be a member to launch / stay there.

Basketcase
 
I know for sure that Thanksgiving weekend is out for us. cchardt has to work Friday and Saturday to get paid for Thanksgiving. Saturday may be ok but he would have to find out. But let us know when and where and we will see. I know for sure we are going south February 4 for the FAA meeting and I think they are planning a ride afterwards. But what ever is decided.
 
Thomas Landing would be good. She could really benefit from the extra business.

I wouldn't mind going north from the Brevard Club either.

I am game for anything but November will be tight for me. I have a 16 day course to teach up at Blanding starting the 5th.

I'm gonna step down from the planning committee on this one....I wanna relax and not stress about it. :D I do agree with sort of rolling it into the Toys for Tots drive though. That would simplify the logistics of it somewhat.

Adam
 
I/m booked in at Thomas landings this weekend for a little r&r after blowing out my ankle and not being able to ride or hunt last weekend, Though I would give it a little try this weekend. The reason I/m saying this is If you want to book at Thomas landings You might want to give Miss Betty plenty of notice she books up rather fast at times[only 2 rooms left for this weekend and nothing going on] and being November hunting season will be in full swing so alot of people will be pre booking..... just a though, I usually camp so no big deal for me. Unless the ride is Nov. 5th [my big 50 birthday] that will be a week b/4 opening day.By the way my hunting buddy Bone's In the Rebel art 454" Getter Done" told me he met Mr.and Mrs.Basketcase and Mr&Mrs Cchart this past weekend and you guy's were very nice folks... just thought I would pass that along.
wayne. :)
 
There is another angle to this that will likely be revealed in a day or two. It will require a classroom for a couple of hours. I ain't letting the cat out of the bag. That was the reason for the Loughman's Landing suggestion or CCAA with Armantes.

My son Dalan (fried the gator bits, red nose pit & SuperJen) is a Marine with front line Operation Iraqi Freedom combat experience. He could be the USMC contact if we can get him out of the woods.

Better check with Miss Betty as she usually books out way in advance during hunting seasons for hunters from RiverRanch.

Janet and I will be there, wherever - God willing.
 
Well before I would book a class room I wopuld share the idea with everyone or you may give a party and no one shows up, just a thought. sittin in a class room doesnt sound like a fun time so far.

We could either do this one for the TOYS FOR TOTS and if we do they would send a marine to pick up the stuff.

We also could do it as operation airboat 2 and send christmas packages to the soldiers. They would really appreciate it.

once we set a theme the name should come out from someone quickly as we have a lot of innovative thinkers on here.
 
I like BPS idea about Dec 3. Don't care where but that seems to be a good day for us as well. There is so much going on and we don't want it to be too close to Christmas either. But let us know. I like the 3rd.

Tide, Bones was very nice and he told us the story of his crash several months back. Very nice guy and very nice boat!!
 
Ms Betty has very few rentals there. I only suggested her place because she is very airboat friendly, there is lots of parking room, she has a store, she has gas, she is in the middle of the state so driving is less for everyone overall, more money for airboat gas that way. WE can drive the cook gear there by truck, she doesn't have a restaurant we would be competing with. and she is a nice lady who could use the money.

paking room for boats and trucks launch anywhere and ride to there gas up and ride back or ride all night
 
It would probably be a good (and courtious) idea for someone who is familiar with her to clear it in advance. Just in case there is some other event planned there or who-knows-what.

And if this is something (toy drive) that we are going to shoot for media attention over, What impression will it make to have a reporter in a Honda Civic driving down those miles of bad road? I hate to pass up a chance to show others that airboaters are good folks, and at this time in history we sure could use the boost to the image, and like woodswoman said, we need to stop being polite and quiet about it. Those who would take advantage of us... ARE taking advantage of our humble demeanor! And we are losing our airboating privelages because of not putting up a fight.

My own tendancy is to just donate some toys or do a good deed and slip back into the shadows. But we have a chance to kill two birds with one stone, and we ought to take that into consideration about some press releases.

And if she needs the business, some press coverage sounds like a priceless gift we can give to her! But what about that road? I was told that even 4 wheel drive vehicles were questionable about getting through in some places.

matt.
 
blackpowderscout":1qszx2pj said:
If they can drive to downtown new orleans, they should be able to get to Thomas landing :wink:

Adam
As of today Wed. the 11th the road was in really bad shape before you even get close to Thomas. I had a friend ride up to are camp to get his bow and stand and said the flag pound just past the cow pasture had running water crossing the road and heading south east into are woods. It usally takes some time for someone to get in there and fix the bad spots.
 
Why is the road so bad is it a county road...anyway

Mood anytime you wish to ride in Citrus let me know. I'm always game for riding close to home.

Dec.3 should work for me and where ever the ride is I'll try to make it.

Kiss is in the middle of the state unless your coming from Lake City.

Any where will work for me!!!!!
 
The road is pretty bad but not impassible, you just need to take it SLOW. Lots of bumps and some pretty deep ruts. Stay to the side and you should be alright. I only have a 2WD truck and have a drop axel on my trailer and made it in and out with no problem. while I was at Thomas Landing I spent some time talking with ms.Betty (very nice lady and she does like to talk) She explained that is not a county road it is private and RR property owners are supposed to help with maintenance. She also mentioned that between all the storms washing it out and kids are raising cane with mud trucks till all hours of the night, her business has suffered and she has had a rough time lately. I will definately be back to see her when I visit the Lake.
 
Thomas landing Do two things at once ! Help the kids and Miss Betty shes doing everthing she can to save the that little spot for us ! That would be a greatful thing ! Be a good thing all around ! Thomas landing reminds of a old swiming hole in my youth ! Nothing special but everthing you need ! :D And the road its suppose be like that its well worth the trip ! The kids in the back ,windows down , suck up that air ! And no sqiurrels with there thumbs up ! :D
 
If you folks in CF would like, I know of a little camp on the St. Johns just a little South of Palatka that's run by some wonderful people. I'm thinkin' something like about 12 cabins, and if ya' wanted to camp I'm sure they'd be cool with that too. The fishin' and ridin' is beautiful on that part of the river in the Spring. It'd be a little deeper than what you're probably used to, but if you fish, it's some of the best Striped Bass fishin' in this State, and an overnite fishin' trip is what I have in mind.

Most of ya' would have to tow for a couple-three hours, but I promise you wouldn't be disappointed. I can get my hands on a grill trailer, and will try to make the arrangements if there's enough interest.

Let me know ...

Ken
 
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